Meet Kenji Freedman of FitLife in Melrose

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenji Freedman.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in New York City. My mother realized early on I was going to be a handful and encouraged me to pursue whatever gave me a sense of accomplishment and brought me joy. I was never told to focus on one interest, so I pursued many. Her caveat was that, as long as I had the education to back it up, she was happy to see me pursue my passions. At 13 years old I picked up a guitar and by 14 I was playing in bands, ultimately becoming a fixture in the NYC music scene and even touring across the globe. When I decided I wanted to be I chef, I set out to the French Culinary Institute in New York City. I graduated and worked in the industry for a few years before realizing that it was getting in the way of my music career. I got an opportunity to be in an educational theatre company with the NYC Board of Education as an actor and musician. Working with kids and helping them navigate a difficult world really gave me a sense of purpose. So, I went to graduate school and received two masters degrees in counseling to make that career happen. Counseling kids and their parents felt purposeful and I loved the process. The idea that you can take a life in trauma and help turn it around was really empowering.

My life completely changed (even though I, and every first-time parent, said it wouldn’t) when my daughter, Kassidy, was born in 1998. My purpose, drive and goals all centered around making sure we raised her right. We moved to Boston in 1999 and shortly after settled in Winchester, MA. I stayed home with Kassidy for the first few years. I’d do intervals on my bike and hit the weights when she napped. I read all of the magazines on fitness and my love for mountain biking and road riding, and all of the training that went into them, flourished. I got my USA Cycling Elite Level Coaching license so I could be more involved in the industry and my fitness career took off. Multiple personal training and group exercise certifications (NASM, SPIN, Z-Health, etc.) followed. I loved taking what I was learning to coach my daughter’s various sports teams.

During this time, I had an amazing coach – an old-school North End legend named Rino Gnesi. He was an ex-amateur national road champion in Italy and we became fast friends. We spent hours together talking about training, racing and eating – Rino was a food importer for many of the local Italian restaurants. He taught me the philosophy and the beauty of suffering when you train and race. If you want to improve you have to work hard, and that often means suffering. He had a huge impact on my life. Sadly, our relationship only lasted a few years when cancer took this amazing force of nature’s life. I made a deathbed promise to Rino that I’d help people with cancer in some way. I didn’t know how, but I’d figure it out. I always did.

My father taught me that true charity is done in the missions where the voices aren’t being heard. If you want to truly do something with meaning you must “go where the silence is.” He taught me to never expect a pat on the back for doing what is right. He also told me that if you always seek the question, you’ll find that one day you’re living the answer. It wasn’t long before my dear friend, Carla Tardif, and I were coaching our daughters’ soccer games when she told me about an organization she had recently started working with. At the time, it was a small nonprofit called Family Reach that did amazing work with a few hospitals to alleviate the financial burden of cancer (also known as cancer-related financial toxicity, or CRFT) for patients and their families. I had found the answer to the question I was living.

I immediately knew I had to get involved and began organizing a three-hour indoor cycling event. The community rallied around and together we would suffer in solidarity, pushing our limits on behalf of the families we were helping. My daughter helped me organize it. Having her involved was essential. I wanted us to bring goodness into the world together. We raised over $6,000 for the families served by Family Reach that first year and thought that it was a huge event. We decided to call this program Reach Athletes.

Family Reach has grown tremendously over the years. Fast forward, and the organization now works with over 300 hospitals nationwide, helping over 34,000 people impacted by cancer in 2017 alone. They’ve expanded their programs and services, offering not only financial assistance, but financial education, navigation and planning as well. All of this is to ensure families fighting cancer can maintain access to treatment, put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Reach Athletes has grown with the organization. We now host events for all types of fitness activities – yoga, Pilates, CrossFit, running, etc. Reach Athletes has raised well over 1.5 million and continues to grow rapidly. Kassidy and I were super proud of making this happen, and I know Rino and my dad were too.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My biggest obstacle/challenge happened just recently. My daughter, Kassidy, who is the inspiration for everything in my life, passed away this past summer, three weeks before she was to begin college. She was full of life and ready to take on the world. Heartbreak is an understatement. The brightest light in my universe was put out and I was lost.

One of the hardest parts was keeping up the lessons I had taught Kassidy on living with purpose. I didn’t want to. If you were to ask Kassidy what she wanted to be when she grew up, she would look you straight in the eye and tell you, “I want to be happy.” I knew retreating would be to dishonor her memory. It was time to put the lessons we shared to use.

Another dear friend, Ming Tsai, celebrity chef and president of Family Reach’s National Advisory Board, asked me to join him in Houston to assist with hurricane relief. It had been only two weeks since Kassidy had passed and there I was in a devastated Houston, cooking with our friends and owners of Reef Restaurant, Brian and Jennifer Caswell. Together we helped cook and feed thousands of first responders and displaced residents. I’d look up in the sky every few moments and ask Kass if I was honoring her. I hoped I was. During that time, we also started the #choosehappy campaign in her honor within those first few weeks. The campaign raised over $18,000 right out of the box and now follows our Reach Athletes everywhere to not just honor my daughter, but the mission she inspired those years ago.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with FitLife – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
FitLife Winchester will open on April 1. As a trainer at FitLife, I’m excited to see the business grow. FitLife specializes in boutique fitness classes like those operating across the country. Instead of focusing on one discipline, we host several studios, stocked with the best equipment, and run by highly trained, dynamic instructors. It’s everything under one roof – personal training, yoga, Pilates, barre, cycling and a unique cardio class called Pulse X. It’s an amazing facility to be a part of.

At FitLife, I focus on helping people become who they want to be. Stronger, happier, more vibrant etc. Fitlife, and the industry as a whole, allows me to bring all the skill sets I have developed to the table. For example, my street cred as a chef helps me work with clients from a nutritional standpoint.

I’m known for telling people that, the minute they walk through my doors, they’ve just accomplished the hardest part of our industry, showing up for yourself. Nobody says, “I can’t wait to be mediocre.” At the beginning, there’s a voice of fear for newbies. For those who are jaded from goals they never achieved, there’s often a sense of cynicism. They show up despite these feelings because they believe they are worth it. I show up because I think they are too.

The Reach Athlete program is still going strong and I’m proud that Fit Life is one of the many fitness partners we have around the country. We host our own events, but Reach Athletes also encourages athletes, trainers and fitness facilities to participate in any existing athletic endeavor (whether it’s a marathon, Spartan Race, cycling competition, etc.) and fundraise on behalf of families fighting cancer. I don’t care if you’re a beginner or a nationally ranked pro. Our champions are the ones who believe in the mission and give their effort for these amazing families we support. Literally anyone can get involved. If you’d like to learn more or get involved, check out familyreach.org/reachathlete.

Where do you see your industry going over the next 5-10 years?  Any big shifts, changes, trends, etc?
I’ve spent my life not paying attention to the fads. They come and go. I love the basic foundation of doing work and having really smart, dynamic instructors and trainers help you. That never goes out of style and is always the most effective training modality. The human body is a perfect machine. Smart trainers, not fads, know how to guide it.

More fads will come and go in the years ahead. I’m not against the fads. If something excites somebody to get off the couch then I say, “Bravo!” Just enjoy moving.

I do see a big move coming in smarter programming that revolves around real human movement. Access to research and education for trainers and athletes has never been greater. It’s really about knowing what’s a fad/trendy and what’s about training properly. There also seems to be a great shift in artificial intelligence training devices and at-home workout equipment. At the same time, we’re seeing a lot of growth with the studio and large gym models.

Overall, there’s a desire to get fitter across generations. We’re seeing more people wanting to be healthy and that is just amazing. The industry is experiencing a seismic shift in what’s available to everyone. Whatever it is that motivates folks to improve their health, I’m all for it – even if it is a new fad. What will never change for me is my purpose. Now go suffer. Know that you won’t be alone.

Contact Info:

• Address: 22 Corey St, Melrose, MA 02176
• Website: http://www.fitlifemelrose.com/

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